Publications /
Research Paper

Back
Has Morocco Benefited from the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union?
February 19, 2020

Since the free trade agreement (FTA) between Morocco and the European Union (EU) came into force nearly two decades ago, Morocco’s export performance on EU markets has been less than stellar and the trade deficit with the EU has surged. This has led many observers to take a negative view of the agreement. Yet, bilateral trade balances are not the best way to assess the effects of a trade agreement, and Morocco has derived major benefits in other ways. As they progress on negotiations towards a more comprehensive and deeper relationship, both Morocco and the EU have much work to do to make the agreement work even better for Moroccans. This Policy Paper presents an assessment of the EU-Morocco FTA and outlines some policy implications, focusing not only on trade flows between the two partners, but also on Foreign Direct Investment, regional integration, and the impact on Moroccan importers and consumers.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    December 14, 2015
    The end of supply chain is the natural corollary of the sustained price fall of virtually all commodities observed over the past many months. If it appears premature to state exactly what is the impact of this deconsolidation in the commodities value chain, it is believed that the strategic role of physical trading is strengthening. Under such circumstances, the industrial strategies of developing countries and commodity exporters may have to evolve and, in priority, foster optimizi ...
  • Authors
    December 14, 2015
    La fin des stratégies d’intégration verticale constitue le corollaire naturel de la baisse durable du prix de la quasi-totalité des produits de base observée depuis de nombreux mois. S’il apparait encore prématuré d’affirmer avec précision quelles seront les conséquences de cette déconsolidation dans la chaine de valeur des matières premières, il est cependant probable que le rôle stratégique du négoce physique se renforce. Sous une telle hypothèse, les stratégies industrielles des ...
  • Authors
    December 8, 2015
    Trade negotiators rarely get to celebrate a victory. The United States, for example, has been negotiating over 15 bilateral free trade agreements, with none concluded since the Korea-US agreement was finalized at the end of 2010. This makes the recently finalized Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)agreement between the United States and 11 other countries all the more remarkable. But the TPP still faces major hurdles, not least a divisive ratification debate in the U.S. Congress, which ...
  • December 7, 2015
    The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was initiated with the aim to build a space of shared prosperity and security among all the countries in the region. The achievement of this objective, however, continues to be challenged by several geopolitical, economic and social factors. In such a context, there is now a greater urgency to adapt the approach and the instruments, thus allowing Euro-Mediterranean partners to seize opportunities towards an effective area of shared stability and pr ...
  • Authors
    November 25, 2015
    The contribution that the diaspora makes to development in the country of origin is examined. Drawing on a recent World Bank survey of migrants from the MENA countries, the needs of the diaspora and the development role it can play through its organizations are reviewed. A constructive interaction with the diaspora can be greatly enhanced by supportive policies in the country of origin. The main focus of the paper is on the Middle East and North African region, and more specifically ...
  • Authors
    Isabelle SAINT-MÉZARD
    November 24, 2015
    L’Inde est aujourd’hui un acteur majeur sur le marché international des engrais, quels que soient les éléments nutritifs considérés. Qu’il s’agisse de ses importations, de sa production intérieure ou bien encore de sa consommation, ce pays affiche des chiffres qui le classent parmi les trois premiers acteurs mondiaux du secteur. Dans le même temps, une analyse interne de la situation en Inde révèle l’existence de nombreuses contraintes. Certaines sont structurelles car liées à la pa ...
  • November 24, 2015
    This podcast is performed by Eduard Soler. Erdoganism in Turkey: Erdogan has become the President of the Republic and continues to dominate Turkish politics. This briefing will analyze th ...
  • Authors
    Karim El Mokri
    Aziz Ragbi
    Said Tounsi
    November 23, 2015
    The issue of a powerful fiscal policy comeback is not only being debated in Europe. It is also interesting for Morocco, in many respects. If in Europe there is controversy between the proponents of the structural budgetary balance rule and critics of restrictive policies in the context of major financial and recessive shocks, in the South of the Mediterranean fiscal policy is caught between the multiple social and economic requirements and the constraint of sustainability. ...
  • Authors
    Edité par:
    Karim El Mokri
    Aziz Ragbi
    Said Tounsi
    November 23, 2015
    Depuis le déclenchement de la crise économique et financière internationale, la politique budgétaire a connu un vif regain d’intérêt dans les arènes académiques et dans les débats des policy-makers, aussi bien dans les pays avancés que ceux en voie de développement. Pour un pays en voie de développement comme le Maroc, l’importance de la politique budgétaire réside dans le potentiel qu’elle offre en matière de stabilisation du cycle économique et de relance de l’activité en période ...